University of Virginia issued the following announcement on Sept. 21
A summer surge in U.S. COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant, has begun to wane, although many health systems remain heavily strained. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in three U.S. hospitals with intensive care units recently reported that at least 95% of their intensive care unit beds were full.
The University of Virginia’s Dr. Patrick E. Jackson explained the numerous medications that are helping to save the lives of hospitalized COVID patients in a piece for The Conversation, re-posted below. Jackson provides treatment, counseling and education for patients with HIV and AIDS in the UVA Ryan White HIV Clinic. He also cares for patients with infectious diseases in the hospital.
In his piece, he reminds readers that the best defense against the virus is the COVID vaccine.
Here’s what he had to say in The Conversation.
Even with three highly effective vaccines available in abundance throughout the country, the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause a large number of new infections, particularly in states where vaccination rates remain low. What’s more, as schools and businesses reopen and the holiday season approaches, another rise in infections may be on the way.
There is, however, some good news. Numerous medications, including fledgling and repurposed drugs, are accessible. For hospitalized COVID-19 patients, these new treatments, along with supportive care advances – such as placing some patients on their stomachs in a “prone position” – were helping bring down mortality rates before the delta variant hit and are continuing to improve patient outcomes today.
As an infectious diseases physician and scientist, I have been working to find new treatments for patients since the pandemic’s beginning. Here’s a look at some of them, with one caveat: While these medications might help many patients, none substitute for the vaccine, which is still the best defense against the virus.
The Right Drug at the Right Time
COVID-19 has two main phases.
In the early stage of the disease, the SARS-CoV-2 virus replicates in the body; the virus itself causes illness. Within the first 10 days or so, the immune system eliminates the virus, but this process can cause collateral damage.
A second phase of the disease may kick in, which occurs when the patient has a disordered inflammatory response.
That’s why it’s critical to use the right treatment drug at the right time. For instance, an antiviral drug may help a patient with early and mild symptoms. But it’s not useful for someone on a ventilator after weeks in the hospital.
Conversely, patients in the ICU might benefit from an inflammation-reducing drug, which can prevent damage to organs such as the kidney and lungs; this damage is called sepsis. But the same drug used during the viral phase of disease might hamper a patient’s ability to fight off COVID-19.
Antiviral Drugs
Three antiviral monoclonal antibody drugs authorized for use in the U.S. may keep the virus from infecting new cells by targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. For outpatients with early COVID-19, these drugs reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. One of them – REGEN-COV – may prevent high-risk patients from getting sick.
These antiviral drugs might also help hospitalized patients whose bodies are unable to make antibodies on their own, either because of immune-compromising drugs or an impaired immune system from another condition.
Original source can be found here.
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